Why Does the Chemical Composition of Living Things Adapt to the Environment?

Abstract

It is shown, using the example of fatty acids contained in living things, that the temperature adaptation of the living things chemical composition is a consequence of the second principle of thermodynamics in its classical form. The obtained result is interesting since the application of equilibrium thermodynamics to living organisms was being rejected for a long time because of the complexity and open nature of these organisms.

The Principle of Substance Stability Is Applicable to All Levels of Organization of Living Matter

“…The supramolecular structures of the tissues (a higher level of structure j, compared to the molecular level, j-1) in the course of ontogenesis and phylogenesis accumulate relatively unstable molecules (substances with a relatively high chemical energy capacity), for instance, fats, which force water out of these tissues. Similar phenomena occur in some molecular chromatographic columns (as a rule, in hydrophobic cells and columns) [4,6,8,[11][12][13][14][15]. All chemists know about it.…”

“…The thermodynamic theory of ontogenesis can help explain the phenomenon of adaptation of living organisms to changes in various environmental factors [5,8,12]. Thus, a change in the temperature Note that the scheme of ontogenesis presented ( Fig.…”